Bill Longson

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Bill Longson
Statistics
Ring name(s) "Wild Bill" Longson
Purple Shadow
Billed weight 240 lbs
Born June 8, 1906(1906-06-08)
Died December 12, 1982 (aged 76)
Resides Utah
Debut 1931

"Wild Bill" Longson (died December 12, 1982) was a professional wrestler, who spent most of his career in St. Louis, Missouri. He perfected the role of the arrogant heel. He is credited with inventing and popularizing the piledriver. Longson is a member of both the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Longson was three times the National Wrestling Association world champion during the 1940s. He was also the last NWA world champion, losing his title to Lou Thesz on July 20, 1948. As a result of this victory, Thesz unified the venerable NWA championship with his own new National Wrestling Alliance world championship, beginning the process of consolidating all American world championships into one.

Contents

[edit] Finishing and signature moves

[edit] Finishing and signature moves

  • Piledriver
  • The Headlock
  • Airplane spin
  • The Flying Leap

[edit] Championships and accomplishments

  • NWA Pacific Coast Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (3 times)

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

[edit] Source

  • Molinaro, John F. Top 100 Pro Wrestlers of All Time, Winding Stair Press, 2002.

[edit] External links

Profile at Online World Of Wrestling

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